Michael Hutton is Highstream’s newest member of the team. He joined the business in November 2022 as an IT support technician. Let’s find out a bit more about his role in the business and what makes him ‘click’.
When and how did you decide to pursue a career in IT support?
I grew up around computers and although I had no formal IT training before I came to work at Highstream, I had taught myself how to troubleshoot in-depth. Growing up, I played – and I still do – a lot of computer games and if anything went wrong with the computer they were running on, I had no choice but to fix it myself.
I studied Accountancy at University in Northampton. After working nearby in Coventry for a year, I moved back to Chester due to Covid. I was working in another role at one of Highstream’s clients, where, at times, I worked quite closely with the Highstream team and got to know them. Managing director, Paul Williams, got wind of me planning to move on and headhunted me to work at Highstream and I haven’t looked back since.
What do you love most about working at Highstream Solutions?
I am a problem-solver, and I am tenacious. The two things go hand-in-hand when working in IT, as it’s important that you don’t get aggravated or lose hope if you can’t fix something straight away. You have to approach issues from different directions until you find the root cause. Since joining the company, Highstream has supported me significantly, including undertaking Microsoft Security qualifications, which will enable me to become a Security Associate in the near future.
What does ‘a day in the life’ of an IT support technician entail?
My day starts with discussions with the team regarding incoming tickets, balancing any ongoing issues, then tackling the technical side of things head on. Mixing in meetings and site visits, as well as projects and security, each day can be vastly different.
What advice do you have for businesses requiring IT support?
The best piece of advice that I can offer a business is never to be afraid to contact the team with an issue. Even if it seems like a small problem, you shouldn’t feel like you are bothering us. It’s much better to get something sorted out early, than wait until it becomes a bigger issue. Just speak up, we are here to help!
Also, Cyber Essentials accreditation can be very valuable. Being a Government-backed scheme, it’s a great way to demonstrate a business has focus on all the main areas of cyber security, giving its customers and partner organisations a level of confidence. We offer a managed security service which adheres closely to Cyber Essentials requirements, meaning customers can gain this certification with relative ease.
What is it you enjoy most about working with computers?
I enjoy problem solving. I also love that I am not office-based every day. I enjoy working out onsite, visiting clients, solving problems and building relationships.
What advice would you give to someone interested in following the same career path as you?
While you do need a core skillset to work in IT, you don’t need to know the answer to everything, you just need to be able to figure it out. Problem solving, tenacity, patience and commonsense are the most important attributes – as well as an interest in IT obviously!
About Highstream
Highstream is a growing, agile IT services and support company. Working with customers predominantly in the North West of England and North Wales, the company is happy to provide IT support throughout the UK. The company has a team which is experienced across many industries, fulfilling services from small office requirements to large, industrial-scale infrastructure installations.
